Newtekhttp://www.newtekone.com
Your Business Solutions CompanyWed, 16 Aug 2017 20:19:41 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.32 IT Trends That Will Help Your Organization Scale, Reduce Cost and Significantly Reduce Riskhttp://www.newtekone.com/2017/08/02/2-trends-will-help-organization-scale-reduce-cost-significantly-reduce-risk/
http://www.newtekone.com/2017/08/02/2-trends-will-help-organization-scale-reduce-cost-significantly-reduce-risk/#respondWed, 02 Aug 2017 19:29:13 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=24159>>Call 212-356-9504 today to get started on your FREE IT Consultation While Silicon Valley is focused on how the next hot new startup will "disrupt" an entire industry, there are exciting new trends in business tech that are accomplishing the exact opposite -- helping industries become leaner, more secure, and better equipped to scale. The [...]

While Silicon Valley is focused on how the next hot new startup will “disrupt” an entire industry, there are exciting new trends in business tech that are accomplishing the exact opposite — helping industries become leaner, more secure, and better equipped to scale.

The biggest challenge, then, for most organizations, particularly those who are not technology companies themselves, is where to start.

Here, we will explore two significant IT trends that your organization should at least be aware of, and how they might help your organization in the areas of cost reduction, security, risk management and, more importantly, how they can better position your organization to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace.

Desktops as a Service (DaaS)

Over the past thirty years, no other technology trend has been more transformative than the desktop computer. Try to imagine any business operating today without desktops; even the most blue-collared corners of our economy still depend on computing and the software it powers.

But let’s also think about some of the major pitfalls of owning and operating desktops in the modern work environment. For one, there is the capital expense to purchase the hardware and all the necessary software. Then there is the ongoing maintenance, security updates, troubleshooting, and failed components. More importantly is the constant security threat. We all know by now how vulnerable every internet-connected computer is to hacking, viruses, and other cyber threats.

The challenges of managing an office full of traditional desktops include:

Desktop as a Service, or “DaaS”, which is not a new technology, but a technology development that has become, more recently, a cost-effective option, takes the computing and storage element out of your office, virtualizes it, and houses it in a more manageable, centralized location — typically in a secure data center.

DaaS provides more freedom for users in device choice and connectivity, without exhausting your organization’s bandwidth; there is no hardware and less software to purchase or manage; your users’ apps, data, and personalized desktops live in “the cloud”; and security, support, and compliance are easier to achieve. Additional benefits include:

• Lower and predictable costs, based on the number of users you have.
• Business continuity, with backup and recovery capabilities baked right into the offering.
• More mobility: users can securely access their desktop anywhere they have an internet connection.

Bottom line: moving your office desktops to the cloud will empower your IT team to control costs and keep your organization more secure, while also giving your workers more flexibility in terms of accessing their data and apps no matter where they are located.

Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)

If your network or systems experienced a catastrophic event and became unavailable for an extended period of time (such as over 48 hours), what would happen to your organization? Fallout from such an event could be as simple as the loss of a day’s sales to more long-term damage that may include a dent in client confidence in your organization. Worse: could your organization suffer a complete or partial (and unrecoverable) loss to your critical business or client data?

As organizations become more dependent on digital data and assets for all aspects of the operation, from customer databases to financial data, serious planning to ensure those digital assets are secure and recoverable becomes critically paramount.

The great news for a growing swath of businesses and organizations today is the accessibility of more affordable disaster recovery solutions for organizations that do not have the benefit of an enterprise-sized IT budget.

Fundamentally, a true disaster recovery solution would require that data is backed up and/or simultaneously housed in a secondary geographic location. Because of this, major challenges include:

• Investing in multiple facilities – there is a significant cost and effort to operate a secondary physical recovery facility.
• Doing it on your own – IT’s focus is taken away from core tasks that add value to the organization.

Disaster Recovery as a Service, or “DRaaS”, allows you to cost effectively outsource your disaster recovery point of presence to a specialized provider – a provider that has already made the significant investments to build out a facility and hire the qualified professionals needed to support such a solution. Benefits of DRaaS include:

The important thing to keep in mind when considering either DaaS or DRaaS is that these are not out of the box products. These are, rather, solutions that are developed and managed by what are known as “Managed Technology Providers”, who have invested in the necessary infrastructure and expertise to help organizations leverage technologies that have previously only been accessible to enterprise-sized organizations.

Final Thoughts: Do Your Due Diligence

It goes without saying, you can’t trust just anybody with your critical data and digital assets. When doing your due diligence for selecting a IT provider, ask for the following:

• Can you visit their data center facility to inspect their operations and security?
• Can you view their financials to ensure the provider will be around for the long haul?
• How long has the provider been in business, and what experience do they possess?
• What security and compliance requirements and/or audits can they meet or exceed?
• Will the provider consult, strategize and plan your solution?

Ultimately, if your organization wants to reduce costs, be more competitive, and minimize security risks, you will need to look for a provider, like Newtek, that will empower your organization to take advantage of enterprise-level technologies without having to build and manage it all on your own.

Newtek is a premier provider of managed technology solutions, including DaaS and DRaaS. Call 212-356-9504 today to get started on your FREE IT Consultation.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2017/08/02/2-trends-will-help-organization-scale-reduce-cost-significantly-reduce-risk/feed/0NEWTEK TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS SECURITY ALERT: Unprecedented Cyber Attack, “WannaCry”, Impacting Out-of-Date Computer Systems, Hits 200,000 Victims Over the Weekend, with Further Escalation Expectedhttp://www.newtekone.com/2017/05/15/security-alert-wannacry-ransomware/
http://www.newtekone.com/2017/05/15/security-alert-wannacry-ransomware/#respondMon, 15 May 2017 12:56:19 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=24103Monday, May 15, 2017 Overview: What your organization needs to know right now What your organization needs to do How Newtek can help On Friday, Hackers, who may have been using modified software that had been stolen from the National Security Agency, unleashed an unprecedented "Ransomeware" attack that has affected, so far, more than 200,000 [...]

On Friday, Hackers, who may have been using modified software that had been stolen from the National Security Agency, unleashed an unprecedented “Ransomeware” attack that has affected, so far, more than 200,000 computers across 150 countries. This number is expected to grow as workers return to the office on Monday and flip on their work stations.

Like nearly all cyber attacks, the WannaCry worm is particularly effective on computers using out-of-date software – this includes computers using out-of-date or unsupported operating systems or other core software components that users depend on to perform their daily tasks.

All organizations should be taking immediate steps to ensure their computers — including business servers — are updated with the latest software patches and fixes.

Also, in cases when ransomware or other malicious cyber activity does occur, having a disaster recovery plan, including reliable and secure data backups, could mean the difference between surviving an attack and going out of business.

Ultimately, a clear and actionable cyber security and disaster recovery plan should be in place or implemented immediately.

If your organization is currently operating computer desktops and/or servers on your premises or within your own facility, we highly suggest you contact us for a no-cost consultation of your security and disaster recovery needs, including, but not limited to, secure solutions that will help your organization avoid costly fallout from cyber attacks.

Newtek is heavily experienced working with organizations of all sizes, including those with existing IT staff and resources, which we can help augment with our expertise, implementation, system management, and monitoring.

Note that the WannaCry worm affects the Microsoft Windows operating system. If you are operating out-of-date or old Microsoft machines, contact us right away for solutions.

In summary, contact us for the following:

Updating or upgrading out-of-date workstations and servers

Ensuring you have secure and reliable backups of all data, and a disaster recovery plan

Keeping your business-critical and client data secure

*** If you are currently utilizing Newtek to host or manage applications, websites, or data in our data centers, we will be sending you further communications by email regarding the ongoing and current steps we have taken to keep your organization secure. ***

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2017/05/15/security-alert-wannacry-ransomware/feed/0We Need to Talk About Phishing Scamshttp://www.newtekone.com/2017/05/05/need-talk-phishing-scams/
http://www.newtekone.com/2017/05/05/need-talk-phishing-scams/#respondFri, 05 May 2017 18:54:48 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=24093If you’re not familiar with the term, phishing scams aim to either infect your computer with malware or to steal your personal information, including account passwords. Scammers accomplish this by sending you emails that often appear legitimate in order to get you to download a malicious attachment or to click on a link that will [...]

If you’re not familiar with the term, phishing scams aim to either infect your computer with malware or to steal your personal information, including account passwords. Scammers accomplish this by sending you emails that often appear legitimate in order to get you to download a malicious attachment or to click on a link that will prompt you to provide personal or account information.

Savvy internet users often feel they can detect phishing emails — many of these phishing attempts, of course, are obviously fake and are properly ignored; however, scammers are getting smarter and regularly trick even technology experienced users. A simple Google News search for “phishing” will provide you with plenty of recent examples of the damage these scams can cause. More troubling, it has been reported that a new phishing scam is launched every 30 seconds.

Organizations need to be particularly vigilant when it comes to the dangers of phishing scams, and need to take regular steps to ensure employees do not fall victim — potentially putting your clients’ data, and your organization’s reputation, at risk. Here are three simple steps your organization can take today.

Training

It is important that staff receive regular training and reminders — at least quarterly, but even as much as monthly — about phishing scams and how to avoid falling prey to them. Some of the basics include:

All employees need to understand what phishing emails are, and common tricks they use to trick people.

Employees need to be aware of any emails from senders they do not know; and even if those emails are from known senders, to pay attention to signs that the email message may be fake or spoofed to look like it came from a co-worker. Employees should inspect the actual email address the message came from to ensure it did, in fact, come from that individual.

Employees should never download attachments or click on links from suspicious messages.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

Your organization should have an SOP to report any suspected or detected phishing emails, especially if an employee believes they inadvertently downloaded an attachment or visited a link from a suspicious email. For cases where phishing emails include malware downloads, reporting these instances to your I.T. department should be swift so they can take proper steps to mitigate the threat.

Multi-Factor Authentication

When possible, critical systems — particularly those that host sensitive data, including member data — should incorporate multi-factor authentication.
Mult-factor authentication involves having a secondary required step to authenticate a user before logging into a system. This ensures that, even if an account password is stolen via a phishing scam, the thief would not be able to log into the system with the password alone. You will need to check with your software vendors or developers to see if this capability is supported, or if the feature can be developed.

While there is no cut and dry method to completely avoid the threat of an employees falling victims to phishing scams, taking these precautions could help your organization avoid an expensive mistake later on.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2017/05/05/need-talk-phishing-scams/feed/0New State Wage Rates in 2017http://www.newtekone.com/2017/01/05/new-state-wage-rates-in-2017/
http://www.newtekone.com/2017/01/05/new-state-wage-rates-in-2017/#respondThu, 05 Jan 2017 13:34:06 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=23327The minimum wage saw an increase in a number of states at the start of 2017. Unless otherwise noted, the following minimum wage rates (per hour) went into effect on January 1, 2017: Alaska: $9.80 Arizona: $10.00 Arkansas: $8.50 for employers with 4 or more employees California: $10.50 for employers with 26 or more employees (for smaller employers, [...]

]]>The minimum wage saw an increase in a number of states at the start of 2017. Unless otherwise noted, the following minimum wage rates (per hour) went into effect on January 1, 2017:

Alaska: $9.80

Arizona: $10.00

Arkansas: $8.50 for employers with 4 or more employees

California: $10.50 for employers with 26 or more employees (for smaller employers, the rate remains $10.00)

Colorado: $9.30 ($6.28 for tipped employees)

Connecticut: $10.10

District of Columbia: $12.50, beginning July 1, 2017 ($3.33 for tipped employees)

Florida: $8.10 ($5.08 for tipped employees)

Hawaii: $9.25

Maine: $9.00, beginning January 7, 2017

Maryland: $9.25, beginning July 1, 2017

Massachusetts: $11.00 ($3.75 for tipped employees)

Michigan: $8.90 ($3.38 for tipped employees)

Missouri: $7.70 ($3.85 for tipped employees)

Montana: $8.15

New Jersey: $8.44

New York: $9.70, beginning December 31, 2016 ($11.00 for employers in NYC with 11 or more employees; $10.50 for employers in NYC with 10 or fewer employees; $10.00 for Long Island & Westchester; $10.75 for fast food employees outside of NYC; $12.00 for fast food employees within NYC)

Ohio: $8.15 ($7.25 for employees at certain smaller companies, and for 14- and 15-year-olds; the wage rises to $4.08 for tipped employees)

Oregon: $10.25, beginning July 1, 2017 ($11.25 for employees working within the urban growth boundary of a metropolitan service district; $10.00 in nonurban counties)

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2017/01/05/new-state-wage-rates-in-2017/feed/05 Website Security Tipshttp://www.newtekone.com/2016/11/21/5-website-security-tips-or-how-to-keep-your-windows-up-and-doors-locked/
http://www.newtekone.com/2016/11/21/5-website-security-tips-or-how-to-keep-your-windows-up-and-doors-locked/#respondMon, 21 Nov 2016 21:51:43 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=23288Imagine leaving your car parked in a crime-ridden neighborhood. Would you leave your windows down and doors unlocked? Unfortunately, the internet is very much a crime-ridden neighborhood and too many of us are not even taking basic security steps to keep our websites protected. The goal of this article is to give you some general [...]

]]>Imagine leaving your car parked in a crime-ridden neighborhood. Would you leave your windows down and doors unlocked? Unfortunately, the internet is very much a crime-ridden neighborhood and too many of us are not even taking basic security steps to keep our websites protected.

The goal of this article is to give you some general best practices that can help you keep your website secure from many common cyber threats. Think of this as advice on “How to roll up your windows” and “How to lock your doors” – very straightforward but important steps. While a determined hacker may still be able to break into your vehicle, following these steps will substantially decrease your chances of becoming a victim of a cyber-based attack.

Keep all software updated, always

This applies not only to your website, but to every piece of software you have installed on your workstations. Hackers regularly find vulnerabilities and security flaws in software. Software vendors, on the other hand, are regularly providing software fixes to patch up vulnerabilities that are found or exploited. If you don’t update your software when updates become available, you could be leaving a wide-open door for hackers to exploit.

You need to keep all software updated on your workstations because an infected workstation could give access to other systems, including your website. If your website is powered by a content management system, such as WordPress, you will need to keep the content management software updated at all times, including any plugins you may have installed. Because content management systems, like WordPress, are so widely used, any security holes that are found can also be exploited widely.

Keep backups of your website, local and offsite

When your website has been hacked and injected with malware, the most secure way to fix the issue is to restore your website from the most recent backup prior to the hack. Make sure the sever your site is hosted on is being backed up daily, and make sure your webmaster is retaining copies of your site locally (securely, of course) as an extra precaution.

Use a reputable hosting provider

Not all hosting providers are alike. Many discount web hosting companies do not make adequate investments into security. Ask your provider how they keep your websites protected. Be sure they make regular software updates to the server operating system and other installed software. Ask if they proactively scan and address security issues. Business-focused providers, like Newtek, have invested millions into system and network security, and have adequate staff to manage and monitor systems around the clock.

Manage User Access

It is import to limit who has access to your important systems and website. This is not because you shouldn’t trust your employees – it’s because the more staff you have with access to systems, the higher the probability of someone from your business becoming victim to a cyber scam or hack, which could then lead to unauthorized access.

If you have multiple people from your business that needs access to your website, be sure they only have permission to the areas they need. For example, the content management system WordPress allows you to assign different access levels to different people.

Use an SSL Certificate

An SSL Certificate is used to establish a secure, encrypted connection between your website and a visitor’s web browser. If your website utilizes logins, processes payments, or stores personal information, an SSL certificate is not only required from most compliance standpoints, it will also give assurances to your visitors that you take their privacy and security serioiusly.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2016/11/21/5-website-security-tips-or-how-to-keep-your-windows-up-and-doors-locked/feed/0The Day The Internet Stood Stillhttp://www.newtekone.com/2016/11/21/the-day-the-internet-stood-still/
http://www.newtekone.com/2016/11/21/the-day-the-internet-stood-still/#respondMon, 21 Nov 2016 21:45:15 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=23282It’s almost 2017 and, today, even toasters are connected to the internet. We call it IOT – or “internet of things” – and, in case you haven’t heard, it’s the latest technology wave to hit consumer electronics. Cisco estimates that by 2020, there could be anywhere from 50 to 200 billion internet-connected devices in use. [...]

]]>It’s almost 2017 and, today, even toasters are connected to the internet.

We call it IOT – or “internet of things” – and, in case you haven’t heard, it’s the latest technology wave to hit consumer electronics. Cisco estimates that by 2020, there could be anywhere from 50 to 200 billion internet-connected devices in use.

While it’s great that our cars, homes, coffee makers, and refrigerators will join us in this great experiment, we’re now seeing some of the bad that will come with the good.

Last month, a massive cyber attack targeted a major Domain Name System (DNS) provider in the U.S., resulting in some of the web’s most popular websites to become unavailable. This included sites like Twitter and Netflix, among others.

The type of attack that occurred is called a DDoS – short for Distributed Denial of Service – which is a very common type of network-based attack that is intended to overload a website or network with so many requests that it becomes unavailable. In simpler terms, it overpowers a website with so many web hits, it can’t handle it and then goes offline.

What makes this recent large-scale attack unique is that many IOT devices – versus traditional computers – were used to execute the attack. With DDoS, computers infected with malware are controlled to send a large wave of requests to an intended target. In this case, many of these “zombie” computers were actually nontraditional devices, like toasters.

Ultimately, this attack, which did not affect Newtek or Newtek services, was an eye-opener for the industry. With so many new internet-connect devices hitting the market daily, we might be entering a new era of large-scale DDoS attacks using gadgets that don’t have much in terms of cyber security attached to them.

So what does this mean for Newtek Customers?

Well, we have some good news. Newtek customers that host their websites and applications within our secure, tier-3 data center (and network) already enjoy the benefits of advanced DDoS protection.

Well before last month’s major event, we made an aggressive decision to invest in proactive, enterprise-level DDoS defenses to ensure we had maximum protections against these types of attacks.

It is important to note that Newtek has made investments to combat DDoS attacks for many years, but our recent upgrades represent the latest and most advanced technologies available. In other words, our customers now benefit from real enterprise-level protection that many managed technology providers are not willing or able to invest in.

Would you like to learn more about how Newtek can keep your website and I.T. systems protected? Contact us at any time.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2016/11/21/the-day-the-internet-stood-still/feed/0Ecommerce Starts and Ends Herehttp://www.newtekone.com/2016/08/25/ecommerce-starts-and-ends-here/
http://www.newtekone.com/2016/08/25/ecommerce-starts-and-ends-here/#respondThu, 25 Aug 2016 16:32:40 +0000http://www.newtekone.com/?p=23266Selling products online is an important part of running a business. Some businesses are entirely online, allowing for business owners to operate from anywhere at any time. To nobody's surprise, ecommerce accounts for more and more purchases every year and is only expected to grow in the coming years. Because of the complexity of selling [...]

]]>Selling products online is an important part of running a business. Some businesses are entirely online, allowing for business owners to operate from anywhere at any time. To nobody’s surprise, ecommerce accounts for more and more purchases every year and is only expected to grow in the coming years.

Because of the complexity of selling products online, we feel like it’s our responsibility to our customers to take every step we can to eliminate the barrier of entry for businesses who want to start selling their products and services online. Newtek’s full suite of business services puts us in a unique position in which we can offer almost every component of an online store, from the shopping cart software all the way to the merchant processing needed to accept payments, and all of the security and registrations necessary to keep the site up and running.
Our newest Ecommerce plans takes out all of the guesswork of building an online store and offers everything you need at an unbeatable price. For $89/year you can set up a fully functional store using the intuitive NewtekCart, register a domain name, and have an SSL certificate installed to encrypt user information and keep your site secure. Sites are SmartPhone ready so you can confidently share links through social media, text message, and email knowing people will have a great experience on mobile and desktop browsers.
Check out the full feature list below:

Newtek’s ecommerce bundle is competitively priced, costing annually what similar services cost monthly. Paired with Newtek’s unbeatable customer service, this ecommerce solution is an unbeatable value. It is available to order now here, and our business service specialists are available to answer any questions at 1-877-323-4678.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2016/08/25/ecommerce-starts-and-ends-here/feed/0Visa Tackles the Biggest EMV Issuehttp://www.newtekone.com/2016/08/23/visa-tackles-the-biggest-emv-issue/
http://www.newtekone.com/2016/08/23/visa-tackles-the-biggest-emv-issue/#respondTue, 23 Aug 2016 16:00:48 +0000http://www.thesba.com/?p=23257EMV has rolled out to stores and credit card terminals around the world. It’s the new standard for secure transactions, and people are encouraged to use their chip-enabled cards whenever they have the option. One of the major complaints about EMV (it may be the only complaint, really) is how long it takes to run [...]

]]>EMV has rolled out to stores and credit card terminals around the world. It’s the new standard for secure transactions, and people are encouraged to use their chip-enabled cards whenever they have the option.

One of the major complaints about EMV (it may be the only complaint, really) is how long it takes to run a card with a chip. Traditional magstripe transactions allow you to swipe once and the final amount and authorization are handled afterwards. With the current EMV software, customers have to insert their card and leave it in the terminal until the total of the purchase is known and authorized. This process takes about 15 seconds, which may not seem like much on paper, but when you’re standing in a line of 5 people those seconds can really add up. Visa is working on a fix to make EMV transactions faster and more convenient for both cardholders and merchants.

Visa’s Quick Chip is a software update for the payment terminals (no need to have credit cards reissued) that allows chip authorization to be handled similarly to magnetic strip authorization. Quick Chip makes transactions faster by allowing cardholders to insert their card then remove it without having to wait for the final amount and authorization response (think ATM-style swiping) . According to Visa, this update will bring the time it takes to pay with an EMV-equipped card down from 15 seconds to 2 seconds. Customers can also insert their card at any time during checkout, making EMV even more convenient, all while providing the same level of security as current EMV transactions.

Visa is going to begin rolling out QuickChip to merchant processing providers, at which point customers will be able to update their systems and speed up their checkout process. If you’re interested in learning more about Quick Chip, Visa has provided an online guide on their website.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2016/08/23/visa-tackles-the-biggest-emv-issue/feed/0Your Business is Live Nowhttp://www.newtekone.com/2016/07/19/your-business-is-live-now/
http://www.newtekone.com/2016/07/19/your-business-is-live-now/#respondTue, 19 Jul 2016 19:26:06 +0000http://www.thesba.com/?p=23226Facebook is a great place to get engagement with potential customers. From ads to boosted posts and Call To Actions, Facebook is definitely a place for business, and new features are being added every day to make advertising feel less like advertising and more like natural communication with people you do business with. Facebook's latest [...]

]]>Facebook is a great place to get engagement with potential customers. From ads to boosted posts and Call To Actions, Facebook is definitely a place for business, and new features are being added every day to make advertising feel less like advertising and more like natural communication with people you do business with. Facebook’s latest feature, a response to Persicope (by Twitter), is Facebook Live Video. A user or page can broadcast video from their smartphone or tablet and receive comments from people watching the stream.

This leads to a much more engaging format for viewers and businesses because you can interact live with an audience instead of simply replying to comments and messages. For marketers, one of the best features is that people who follow your Facebook will automatically receive a notification when you go “live”. That’s a free push notification to users with the Facebook app on their phones will see.
There are a lot of creative ways Facebook Live could be used to interact with customers and promote your business, but here are a few popular ideas to get you started:

Live Q&A – Q&A’s are engaging, informative, and can be really fun. Start broadcasting and let your audience know you’re taking questions in the comments, then answer them on the broadcast. Get creative and do your Q&A along with something that’s entertaining to watch for your audience: artists can draw or paint, musicians can play music, chefs can cook, the possibilities are pretty much endless.

Day In the Life – Think about doing something like an episode of “How It’s Made”, but for your business. Showing your process will build rapport with Facebook viewers and spark interest in your business. If you’re able to stream something particularly cool or interesting, you’ll be able to get shares and reach an exponentially larger audience than standard posts will fetch.

Events – Grand openings, premiers, holiday parties and promotional events are a great way to get people in the door, but for those who can’t make it, set up your phone on a tripod or a stand so your Facebook fans can join in on the fun. Seeing people enjoying the environment of your business reflects very well on new customers. Live stream a party and include your business’s location with an open invitation to new customers!

These certainly aren’t the only ways in which you can use Facebook Live to engage with your customers, but hopefully this will get you into the habit of live streaming with the app and getting better engagement with your fans and customers.

]]>http://www.newtekone.com/2016/07/19/your-business-is-live-now/feed/05 Digital Tools That Tell What Your Website Visitors Really Thinkhttp://www.newtekone.com/2016/07/18/5-digital-tools-that-tell-what-your-website-visitors-really-think/
http://www.newtekone.com/2016/07/18/5-digital-tools-that-tell-what-your-website-visitors-really-think/#respondMon, 18 Jul 2016 17:07:07 +0000http://www.thesba.com/?p=23222Successful brands effectively collect consumer feedback and use it to make incremental improvements to their product. While customer feedback is important, often users aren’t sure about what they want; or, users claim to want one thing, but really want another. The best brands not only collect customer feedback, but also gather user data in order to [...]

]]>Successful brands effectively collect consumer feedback and use it to make incremental improvements to their product. While customer feedback is important, often users aren’t sure about what they want; or, users claim to want one thing, but really want another. The best brands not only collect customer feedback, but also gather user data in order to in order to make their site, product, and business better.

Google Analytics – This tried and true measure of visitor behavior has been around since people started caring about user data at all, and it’s still a must. Google Analytics is a great supplement to other data products to learn how people navigate on your site, how they use it, how long they stay on particular pages, and what they click on. This allows you to make changes to your site based on what’s already popular and which areas could use more interaction. Google Analytics also provides information about user location, and preferred hardware.

CrazyEgg – The problem with Google Analytics is that it will not tell you where your visitors are losing interest. The CrazyEgg software provides a scroll report and heat map tool that tells you exactly where people are clicking, and where they’re not clicking. CrazyEgg can also tell you where visitors are hovering their mouse. These reports provide insight into which pages are most valuable to your visitors, and how far down visitors are scrolling on each page. This will allow you to focus your efforts when improving your website.

Optimizely – Use a tool like Crazyegg to collect exactly how visitors are interacting with your website, then use that data to create different website hypothesis based on your goals. When it comes time to test those goals – for example, improving conversion rate – use a tool like Optimizely. Optimizely allows users to create A/B tests quickly and easily without needing a ton of technical skill. As data rolls in, you can shift your traffic allocation accordingly for maximum results.

Inspectlet – Use this software to capture videos of site users on your site and how they’re engaging. It’s incredibly simple to use, and unlocks major insights when you filter to users on mobile, desktop and certain browsers, and how they navigate. Sometimes a user doesn’t need to say anything if you simply watch their behavior. When you launch a new page or features, get Inspectlect running to understand how people are using them, and where they’re getting stuck.

SnapEngage – SnapEngage provides insight into your website’s live chat opportunities. It’s especially helpful to understand usability issues, e.g. “I’m on your product page but can’t find X.” Because it keeps a log of all the live chat, Product Managers can go back and read all the transcripts to understand what pages people are having issues, and what issues they’re having.